Mediapro is stepping up its football rights dispute with Spanish pay-TV operator Sogecable. The Catalan production company is taking Sogecable and its Audiovisual Sport subsidiary to the competition authority. It claims that Sogecable, which runs the Digital+ platform and the Spanish Canal+, has been broadcasting matches from the Spanish football league for which it does not hold the rights.
For its part, Audiovisual Sport is claiming €200 million in damages from Mediapro for alleged breach of contract. Last weekend Mediapro broadcast a series of matches on its La Sexta channel, claiming that the contract with Audiovisual Sport did not apply, and that it had secured direct agreements with eight first division clubs for the rights to broadcast the matches.